| We are
spirits. We have souls. We live in bodies. To truly
understand this truth is to experience great freedom. For
example, we are not our souls. We are not our intellect (our
thoughts), our wills (our desires), or our emotions (our
feelings). To say “I am afraid” is not truth though
it is grammatically correct. I am not my fears. I am not my
anxiety. I am not my depression. I may be experiencing fear at
the present moment but to say “I am afraid” identifies me
with the fear, which is not the truth. Once we grasp this, then
we can begin to take dominion over our intellect, will, emotions and
our bodies. It is to take a position as an observer of the soul
and to watch the soul and ultimately gain control of the soul which
will ultimately gain for us the experience of freedom. Freedom means to know that the “I” is not part of the soul. We can use scripture to affirm our spirits and gain our status as people created in the image of God. God is a Spirit and so are we. To pray Colossians chapter one verses nine and eleven, for example, could be done in the following way: I, George, am filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. George, you are filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. George is filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. I, George, am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, unto long-suffering and patience with joyfulness. George, you are strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, unto long-suffering and patience with joyfulness. George is strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, unto long-suffering and patience with joyfulness. What we have just done is given the spirit power to speak to the soul (intellect, will, emotions) and body to make them “strong in the power of God’s might.” We use the first, second, and third persons to speak to our soul and body to make them conform to the image of God and the spirit of man. Spirit is love, peace, joy, meekness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience, and temperance. To experience the fruit, we must attain a state of silence, not the absence of sound but the absence of soul. When we have been graced with silence, we can then begin to observe and to rule the soul and body. It is then that we will experience true freedom which is the essence of spirit. The freedom that I am talking about is not political freedom or freedom from prison. It is to be in a position that no matter what your external circumstances are, you are free from soul. There is a story about a general who was taken captive by his enemy and he knew he was going to be tortured the following morning. He was tormented with this information and couldn’t sleep. Then he remembered that all that is real is the present, the past is past, the future is not here yet and was able to rest his fears (his soul) and go to sleep. He was free. He was neither bound by resentments of the past or fear of the future. He had regained the silence of the present free from thoughts, will, emotions, and the anxiety of the body. The spirit had gained its freedom and he could quiet the soul and be at peace. Galatians chapter five verse one tells us to “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled in the yoke of bondage.” This liberty is the result of being free in good measure from our conditioning and the flesh. When we our challenged by life the spirit needs to step back and observe how the soul and body respond to the situation. If noise arises, noise like anger, resentment, fear, and worry, the spirit needs to look at it and release it. We need to confess our position in Christ as fearless and loving and allow the spirit to come into ascendancy. Secondly, we need to gain a measure of silence in our souls. Jesus tells us to “consider the lilies.” To stop the process of a flowing consciousness and still the soul we need to “look” when there is nothing in particular to look at and “listen” when there is nothing in particular to hear. Looking at flowers, trees, and animals and listening to the wind blow against the trees or the cicadas in the summer is a good way to still the soul. Another way is centering prayer or contemplation. We need to establish a place, a center, to measure our freedom. That place is free from soul, our thoughts, desires, and emotions. Once we establish this foundation, we measure our spiritual life from this place. As we deviate from this place, which is life, we know where we need to return. In doing so, we develop a spiritual life and freedom. Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The question is how we think in our hearts as spirit? Are there peace, love, and joy there? Are we happy and free? Are we open to the grace of God? If we are filled with noise, we are closed. If our flesh and soul rule spirit, we are prisoners to circumstances. When these circumstances contradict the word of God and truth, we are thrown into a tizzy. But if spirit rules, then when circumstances contradict the love of God, we can speak to these facts and demand that they conform to the will of God and the eternal truth of God. This is freedom, dominion, and power. To arrive there, we must be transformed by renewing our minds (soul) to the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom12:1-2) which is accomplished by making positive affirmations and bringing the imaginations, thoughts, and suggestions of the mind into line with scripture. Thoughts, suggestions, and images not in keeping with the word are from the adversary and must be rebuked. To know this as Christians, we need to know scripture and the nature of God as loving, kind, merciful, and all powerful. Finally, we need to keep vigil of our souls. If we deny our soul, those thoughts, desires, and emotions contrary to the will of God, we will attain the same freedom Jesus experienced. With this freedom, we will experience the peace of God that passes understanding and love God with all our hearts, minds, soul, and strength and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. To do this is to fulfill the will of God and gain access to all the blessings God wishes for us to enjoy. Begin today to walk in freedom. Begin today to walk in peace. Amen. |